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Good morning. Here’s the latest from around the lacrosse world:

1. Utah president David W. Pershing recommends the addition of Division I men’s lacrosse, according to public documents. The university board of trustees will vote today. The Utes would be the first Pac-12 school with men’s lacrosse at the Division I level.

"I really dream of a time when I can walk into a conference room in New York, and half the businessmen in the room will be talking about Utah's lacrosse game over the weekend,” benefactor David Neeleman, whose son, Seth, is a freshman long-stick midfielder for the Utes, told the Salt Lake Tribune in April. “It's really a huge opportunity for the sport and the university."

Utah athletics will be hosting a press conference today at 10 a.m. to discuss men’s lacrosse. Watch live on Pac-12.com or on Facebook.

2. Toronto Rock owner Jamie Dawick announced Thursday that head coach Matt Sawyer signed a contract extension, returning for the 2018 season. The Rock improved from 5-13 in 2016 to 9-9 in 2017 with a playoff win.

“Matt and his coaching staff (Bruce Codd and Blaine Manning) took advantage of the opportunity that was placed in front of them last season,” said Dawick.  “The staff is moving the team in the right direction.  I’ve been around Matt for a number of years now, in the summer and winter, in different roles.  The season ran really smooth this year.  He has a lot of experience and he brings that to all aspects of coaching this team.”

3. More MLL players are dabbling in media. It’s a trend that has witnessed Paul Rabil, Ryan Flanagan, Josh Hawkins, Steven Brooks and more develop their own voices on television, radio, streaming networks and podcasts.

“You can approach media two ways,” said Rabil, who was named one of the world’s 20 most tech-savvy athletes alongside LeBron James, Derek Jeter and Tom Brady by the website SportTechie on Tuesday. “The first is monetize and look at yourself as a company. As long as you have something to say and an audience to listen to it, you have opportunity. The second is to serve as conversation around a business. Athletes are using it to tell their story.”

4. Longtime US Lacrosse Magazine columnist Bill Tanton retired at age 85. He picked up his first lacrosse stick in the 1940s, worked for The Evening Sun for 40 years, then wrote for another 21 years at US Lacrosse and now has “friends for life” in the sport.

“He’s been a colorful and prolific institution within our evolving organization ever since,” said US Lacrosse CEO Steve Stenersen in his column for the May edition/June edition of the magazine.

5. In our way-early 2018 rankings for Division II women, Adelphi, Florida Southern, Le Moyne and Lindenwood are expected to be the final four.

What We’re Reading

  • Maryland men’s lacrosse is enjoying the moment, but also reloading for another title run, writes Todd Karpovich of Pressbox Online.

  • Also on Pressbox Online, Maryland women’s lacrosse coach Cathy Reese reflects on the 2017 championship.

  • Boston College lost to Maryland in the NCAA championship, but its “spirited run” led by its veterans “changed everything.” Read the New England Lacrosse Journal’s cover story on the Eagles.

  • Penn State attacker Steph Lazo was named the university’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

  • For Behind The Whistle, the official blog of the IWLCA, Quinnipiac head coach Tanya Kotowicz talks about the “walk-on” mentality, which focuses on the concept of team.

  • The Washington Post takes a look at this year’s Top 10 in high school boys’ lacrosse, featuring undefeated Landon at No. 1, which “sprinted” through a gauntlet of a schedule to claim its league title.

  • On the girls’ side, the Washington Post ranks undefeated Glenelg at the top of its Top 10, as the public school that challenged the top private schools in the area.

  • Severn boys’ lacrosse coach Jamie McNealey stepped down to become the director of athletics at Calverton School in Huntingtown, Md.

  • The Brooklyn Lacrosse Club “gives kids the ability to forge friendships that they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to form without lacrosse,” writes Scott Enman of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

What We’re Watching

In early 2013, Matt Freitas lost his leg one month before his 12th birthday due to a head-on car crash in Maine. Today, now 16, he is the lacrosse goalie for Catholic Memorial High School in West Roxbury, Mass., after recovering at Boston Children Hospital’s Orthopedic Center.

“Every time I saw Matt, he was wearing a different lacrosse jersey or shorts. It was an indication of Matt’s drive and resilience,” said orthopedic surgeon Dr. Benjamin Shore.

In addition to being a standout goalie, he received the distinguished Wrestler’s Heart Award this year as a sophomore. The award is given to the athlete who epitomizes courage and the determination to overcome adversity, according to the Massachusetts Chapter of the Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. He also practices Ninja training at the TA Fitness gym in his hometown of Weymouth.

Freitas hopes to play Division I lacrosse after securing a spot on his high school varsity team as a freshman. Read about his inspirational story and watch his saves below. 

What’s On Tap

  • The second season for the UWLX continues. The Force and Storm will play at Cheyney University at 7 p.m. tonight, while the Ride and Sound will play in Bel Air, Md., Saturday at 4 p.m.

  • Canada’s 150th Anniversary of Lacrosse Celebration will take place this weekend in Montreal, featuring a festival of activities that honor the history of the country’s national summer sport. Gary Gait, Geoff Snider, Erica Evans and Holly Lloyd will be attending.

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